Dreamful Coward
by DensiShine
Summary: When asked to make a speech, right after Voldemort's defeat, Hermione will change the world as permanently as Harry had when he killed the Dark Lord. Draco x Hermione. Post-War. One-Shot. Challenge entry. R&R :


**Disclaimer**: All Harry Potter characters and settings belong to J.K Rowling.

**WELCOME TO "Dreamful Coward"**

**Summary**: When asked to make a speech, right after Voldemort's defeat, Hermione will change the world as permanently as Harry had when he killed the Dark Lord. Draco x Hermione. Post-War. Challenge entry. R&R :) R&R :)

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Challenge by **flutter of angel wings**

Title: Dreamful Coward |Pairing: Draco x Hermione (my choice) | Type of Story: One-Shot

Movie Quote: These days, most people have replaced all their emotions with fear, and everyone has dreams, but only a few realize them. Makes cowards out of the rest of us. - Veronika Decides to Die

oOoOo ~ oOoOo

Harry put again his wand close to his throat and finished his own speech thanking his best friends, without whom he could have never achieved what he just had.

With tears in all members of the trio, they joined in an emotional hug. They've been friends for so long, and, despite the fact that they've been through so many dangerous situations, none of them ever thought they would lose each other. And they didn't.

"Without any further lateness, I present you the brightest witch of our age, Hermione Jean Granger", Harry concluded with a still shaky voice.

With her cheeks as red as Ron's hair (though it was hard to tell if it was for the crying or the compliment), Hermione put her own wand near her throat and began to make a speech who would change her life forever.

"Hello colleagues, professors, members of the Order and everyone else. I'm sorry, I didn't exactly prepared a speech, as you may guess"; Hermione had never been the joker but she lighted up everyone with this honest statement; there might have even been a twinkle in George's eyes.

"I wanted to thank Harry for being such a brave inspiration for all these years; for believing in yourself when most didn't; for not giving up; for being strong enough to find yourself through all the adversities life set on you; for saving the Wizarding World – let's face it, he did – and most of all, for saving me all those times. There are no words to express my gratitude towards you. You saved me from a troll in our First Year; you saved me from a selective snake on our Second, why did it have to be picky?" and laughter suddenly invaded the room. Feeling slightly more comfortable, Hermione continued, already knowing her speech wouldn't provide any more laughter onwards. "Thank you for, in our Third Year, saving me from Professor Lupin's transformation who, unfortunately, couldn't control and prove his huge strength when his fate interfered. Thank you for planning on saving me down there, in the Black Lake, even though Krum got it under control, on your Second Task for the Tri-Wizard Tournament in our Fourth Year. Thank you for leading us while in the Ministry of Magic, during our Fifth Year, and saving me from the Death Eaters' attack, the very first we've been through ever since. Thank you for remaining strong in our Sixth Year, for remaining faithful, and for being there for me when I needed the most; thank you for saving my friendship with Ron. And then there were no more school years. We left the world behind, our world, in order to save it." She paused for a little while to let people absorb what she had just said, but mostly to let herself absorb it.

"And you saved me so many times from so many things; Death Eaters, Dark objects, abandon, rejection, the torture in Malfoy Manor" she whispered the last two words; she couldn't face it yet! And all eyes looked back to Draco Malfoy when she didn't immediately continue her speech. Even though it was Narcissa's lie that saved Harry and Draco had been fighting on their side since the Golden Trio arrived to his own house, giving up and becoming a neglected, everyone was stilling looking wary to him. No one except Granger knew his reasons but he had them. However, he really didn't want to be there, he wanted to go with his parents to the Ministry, he wanted to turn himself in as well, but Shacklebolt himself told him he was free. And so he stayed. Hoping for something he knew impossible. Hoping for her.

Realising where everyone's eyes were now lying, Hermione decided she should open up the damn game, once for all.

"Stop looking at Malfoy like that! Though he was a prejudiced bastard, hadn't it been for his help now on the battle most of us wouldn't be here, and most likely Harry, Ron and I would have died on Malfoy Manor as soon as we stepped our feet in there. I would have been more tortured, by different means, worst ones, permanent ones, who would led me to wish death. So, stop looking at him as if he's the enemy. He's one of us now, no matter what our past tells us." Everyone was shocked by Hermione's declaration. After all, there was not a single soul who didn't know their troubled past. Sensing that, Hermione added "Take my example, if you want so badly to see me as a war heroine. I was able to move on, and I was clearly one of his favourite targets when we were kids. I was the Gryffindork, the insufferable know-it-all, the Mudblood, Potter's best friend. But we're no longer kids. We couldn't be. The situation wouldn't let us. So we grow up, we move on, we live life. We love love." That said, Hermione pocketed her wand and ran to Draco's arms, kissing him fiercely, like they were just about to die, like they were just about to wake up from the sweetest dream. And he kissed back with as much desire and passion as she was giving.

When they broke the kiss, Hermione simply stated: "These days, most people have replaced all their emotions with fear, and everyone has dreams, but only a few realize them. Makes cowards out of the rest of *you*, doesn't it?"

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AN: Hello readers! I truly hope you liked this one-shot!

Thank you to **flutter of angel wings** for setting up the challenge. I hope you liked this story.

Love, R.

P.S. As always, please R&R


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